Floor-hinge.



PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904.

- v H. 'J. VALENTINE.

FLOOR HINGE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1a, 1903.

SHEETS-SHEET 1.

.15 I an no MODEL.

No. 761,731. PATENTED JUNE 7., 1904. H. J. VALENTINE. FLOOR HINGE.

' APPLICATION FILED 170V. 18, 1903. N0 MODEL.

3 SKEETS-SEEET 2.

TUN1TE1) STATES Patented June 7, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY-.1. VALENTINE, or CLEVELAND, 01-110, ASSIGNOR TO THE COLUMBIAN HARDWARE COMPANY, OF oLEVELAND, 01110, A

, CORPORATION or 01110.

FLOOR-HINGE.

. srnerrioA'rroiv formin g part of Lett e rs Patent No. 761,731, dated June 7, 1904.

A fi ti fil d November 18, 1963. Serial No. 181,690. (No model.)

. 1'0 all whom/it may concern."

' can be swung in either directiomwhile at the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to-floorhingesthat is to say, to that class of hinges in" which the hinge is applied to-the threshold of the doorframe and the bottom portion of the door instead of being applied to the back edge of the door and to the sides of the door-frame.

The object of the invention is toprovide a' simple and durable construction of floor-hinge which will be double-acting, so that the door same time the door will not sag and no large dent with the axis of the hinge.

One of the main objects of the inventionis, to provide a floor-hinge in which a compres with the invention is shown, and in which opening will be left between the back of the door'and the side of the door-frame, as is customary wherethe door is supported by'hinges applied to its back.- In this class of hinges,

as is well known, only one hinge is necessary,

sion instead of a torsion spring is utilized.

With'these ends 1n view my-inventlon con-.

sists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter,described' and then particularly claimed, reference being made to the accompanying*drawings, in.

which a' desirable construction in accordance drawings v Figure 1- is a perspective View showing the hinge-support and the top swivel-support of 'frame being also shown, but the'major pora door, partly in section, the door and its tions thereof being broken out for economizing space. Fig. 2 isa plan v1ew of my 1mproved floor-hinge with-the top plate thereof the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a horizontalstud of the hinge.

which the line 7 7 ofFig. 6, showing a part of the hingesection on theline 5 5 of Fig. 3"at one end of the hinge. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1 through the parts applied to the bottom'of the door to clamp the pivot- Fig. 7 is a section on the casing. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8, these two figures illustrating the construction at the top of the door. I

Referring to the drawings, the frame a is provided with a door-opening for the door 6. The hinge-casing c is mortised in the floor, .as shown in Fig. 1, and its pivot-stud d is secured to the bottom rear portion of the door,

' The pivot f projeots down from adisk g,which turns upon a series of antifriction-balls it,

- which are arranged in the raceway of a dished as the top of the door is simply swiveled to; the topof the frame, the swivel being coinci washer 71/. Means are thereby provided for reducing friction and for a noiseless movement of the pivoted parts, including the door 6.

movably to the hinge-casing and is suitably secured thereto, as by screwsor other removable fastenings. The flange of the disk 1' turns on the top of the casing, and centrally.

from itprojects the before-mentioned pivot- 'stud d, which stud preferably tapers and is 'on in the end of the hinge-casing, while the other end of the screw-sp1ndle 1s plain, as

shown at Z and is inserted in a guide-sleeve a of a cross-head a, which moves in side ways 0 of the hinge-casing. This cross-head has a movement ef'fectuated by the cam c' of the pivotf, said cam engaging an abutment p on the cross-head, which abutment is inserted within the recess or gap formed between the two disks 9 and j. The cam and its pivotal supports constitute, in effect, a crank-shaft, which is given a partial turn by the opening or closing of the door. The engaging face of the cam 71 is preferably flat with rounded corners, and the bearing-face of the abutment p is correspondingly flat, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

Coiled about the spindle Z is a strong helical spring (1, one end of which abuts against the cross-head a and the other end against the capstan-head Z This spring thrusts the crosshead, with its abutment, toward the cam 1i, pressing the abutment into the recess between the disks 9 and j. The opposite end of the spring pressing against the capstan-head Z forces the square end an of the spindle into the socket m of the casing, thus securing the spindle against turning. Screwed onto the spindle between the sleeve 12. and the capstannut isa nut or collar 9*, which may be adjusted along the screw-spindle as desired and forms a suitable support for the intermediate portions of the spring, holding the convolutions thereof away from the spindle.

When in position, the hinge-casing, with its contained parts, will be mortised within the floor transversely of the threshold, as shown in Fig. 1, and the pivot-stud (Z will be clamped within suitable clamping devices arranged on the rear lower edge of the door I). These clamping devices may comprise, and preferably do comprise, a recessed plate 8, which is screwed or otherwise suitably secured to the bottom of the door, its recess .9 opening toward the back edge of the door and forming a socket having at one end an abutment-recess 8 The rear lower corner of the door is chiseled out to suitably contain the socket portion 8 of plate 8, while across the rear end of the said socket portion is secured a cap t by means of fastening-screws z," passing through opposite sides of the cap and into opposite sides of the socket portions. A screwthreaded opening is formed in the cap 26 to receive an adjusting-screw u, the inner end of which bears upon a clamp or jaw n, which is located in the recess of the socket portion 8 to bind and clamp the pivot-stud (Z within the recess o of the inner face of the jaw 'u and the abutment-recess .9 The clamp-jaw c is dovetailed in cross-section, the recess of the socket being undercut or chamfered, as shown in Fig. 7, to guide the clamp-jaw and to prevent its falling out. The adjustable clamp-jaw '1; not only clamps the pivot-stud firmly to the bottom of the door, but serves to take up any wear that might occur. Then the door is in position, the same rests upon the flange of the flanged disk j of the pivoted crank or cam portion.

The top of the door is preferably supported to turn on a swivel (a in line with the pivot stud (Z by means of a plate a, which is suitably secured to the top of the door-frame, and a recessed plate 1/, which is suitably secured to the top of the door and in the socket in of which the swivel c finds bearing, a cap :r complementary to the socket portion w being suitably secured to the upper rear corner of the door, as by means of fastening-screws1r. It will be understood that the top of the swivel-support, such as being provided no spring-hinge such as is located in the floor is necessary. This is usual in this class of devices.

In operation, assuming that the door is properly mounted, as will be evident to skilled workmen, the opening of thedoor throws the cam or eccentric 0 against the abutment of the cross-head, reciprocating the cross-head inwardly to compress the operating-spring 17, the spring reacting as soon as the door is released to thrust the cross-head back and cause its abutment to press upon the cam to turn the door back into closed position. This action is the same whether the door be opened inwardly or outwardly, as it is evident that the described floor-hinge is a double-acting one. The tension of the spring may be adjusted in evident manner by applying a suitable lever to the capstan-head and turning the nut Z. This adjustment is desirable for securing a perfect closing action of the door. The ball-bearings under the disk 7 serve to reduce friction and take some end thrust imparted on the crank or cam shaft by the weight of the door. It is evident that the ball-bearings might, if desired, be arranged under the flange of the disk 7'. It is also evident that various other changes in construction, arrangement, and operation of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as the same resides directly in the combination of parts now to be claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination in a hinge, of a casing, a crank or cam shaft journaled in the casing and provided with a stud, a spindle fixed in the outer end of the casing, an abutment provided with means for guiding it on the inner end of the spindle, the said abutmentcooperating with the cam of said shaft, and a spring acting on the abutment, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a hinge, of a casing, a crank or cam shaft journaled in the casing and provided with means for operativel y connecting the same to a door, a cross-head guided longitudinally in the casing and provided with an abutment cooperating with the cam of said shaft, a guide portion on said cross-head, a spindle fixed longitudinally in the outer end of the casing to receive said guide portion, and a spring acting on the cross-head to press its abutment toward the cam, substantially as'described.

3. The combination in a hinge, of a casing, a crank or cam shaft journaled in the casing and provided with means for operatively connecting the same to a door, a spindle mounted longitudinally in the outer end of the casing, a sleeve guided on the said spindle, a crosshead mounted on the sleeve and guided in the casing, an abutment on the cross-head pressing against the cam of said shaft, and an operating-spring, substantially as described.

4. The combination in a hinge, of a casing, a crank or cam shaft journaled in the casing and provided with means for afiixing it to a door, a spindle fixed in the casing, an abutment cooperating with the cam of said shaft and provided with a sleevesliding on thespindle, a spring acting on the sleeve, and means.

on the spindle for supporting the intermediate portions of the spring, substantially as described.

. 5. The combination in a hinge, of a casing,

a crank or cam shaft journaled in the casing and provided with means for aflixing it to a door, a spring-actuated abutment cooperating with the cam of said shaft, a spindle fixed in the casing, and an adjustable nut or collar screwed on the spindle for supporting the intermediate portions of the spring, substantially as described.

6. In combination with a floor-hinge provided with a pivot-stud, means for fixing said stud, comprising a plate provided with a socket portion for receiving the stud, and a clampjaw for engaging the stud to retain it in the socket, substantially as described.

7. In combination with a floor-hinge provided with a stud, means for fixing said stud,- comprising a plate provided with a socket portion to receive the stud, and a recessed clampjaw adjustable in said socket to clamp the stud in its recess, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY J. VALENTINE.

Witnesses:

H. L. KEIFER, WM. M. SEWELL. 

